Month: December 2016

As a promise to myself, I was going to start December off with a bang! As I write that sentence I realize we’re pretty much at the end of the month. I wanted to try to get a few pieces done this month. My first project on the list was the antique cherry desk. I’m trying to follow that whole FIFO (First In First Out) thing when I bring pieces home. When I saw this desk I absolutely loved the profile and I couldn’t wait to bring it home. I knew there was a lot of potential and the fact the it had extra storage was a huge plus.

I started off with removing the table top from the base and then separating the shelving/drawers from the table top. Then I sanded the table top down starting with an 80 grit to remove the varnish working my way through 220, 400, and then 600. The 600 grit makes the wood so smooth, but its important to take the gradual steps of using the different grits. For those of you wondering which sander has been my go to, it’s been my handy-dandy Black & Decker Mouse Sander! This little gadget has worked wonders for me and makes the job a lot easier. I’ll do a separate post review my sander for those inquiring. Once I was done sanding, I vacuumed and wiped down the surface with a damp cloth. I
chose to give the exposed wood a hemp oil treatment to show off the beautiful natural wood grain I uncovered. I personally like to apply the hemp oil with a paint brush so it worked its’ way into the grain. While I was letting the table top dry, I started working on the base. It took me a while to find the right color because the cherry wood had such a warm tone to it and I didn’t want to pair it with a color that was too cool. Being a turquoise girl, I decided to go with Kitchen Scale from Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint. My husband Ryan was actually the one that convinced me to go with the turquoise. He can have a good eye when it comes to design. Since I didn’t sand the base down to remove the varnish I paired the milk paint with the bonding agent (from her paint line). In a previous post (dining table) I mentioned when to use this product. It took about two coats to get the color even. Lastly I used the clear waxed all over the desk and buffed it out to seal it.

When I was looking for new hardware, I was having a hard time finding the right size knobs (<1″D for the smaller drawers) to match new pulls
for the other drawers. I knew I wanted to go with an antique brass finish and luckily it the same finish of the originally hardware. I ordered these (link attached) 3″ cup pulls and I was lucky to get the last set before they sold out! I’m so happy that I kept the original knobs even though they’re a little worn out but I think it adds a little more character to the piece as a whole.

Lastly my mom helped convince me to line the drawers with fabric. I was originally looking for a plush velour but my local Joann’s only had black,
red, and dark green. I wasn’t thrilled with the color selection for this piece. I decided to go with a turquoise deer toile fabric I already had. I painted Mod Podge directly on the bottom of the drawers, then painted another layer on top, let it dry and cut the edges with my craft knife.

I’ve had this desk since October, and while I can’t believe I’ve finally refinished it, I’m so happy its going to a home where I’ll be able to see it. My best friend’s sister actually bought it from me and I know they will take good care of it.

I hope you all have enjoyed reading this post. Please let me know if you have any questions that I can answer.